^{How to Create an Engaging Online Community on Heylo}

^{For any group that meets in real life—and wants the magic to continue between events.}

^{Why It Matters}

^{Your online space is the glue between meetups. It’s where people swap tips, share wins, ask for help, and feel seen. Over time, those connections make membership more valuable than any single event. Your role isn’t to broadcast; it’s to host—to spark conversations members have with each other.}

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^{Quick Wins to Get Started}

^{1) Refresh your Welcome Message}

<sup>State your mission, Set expectations and give a clear first action.

For example:</sup> 

^{🌲 Welcome to Example Hiking Group!}

^{Our mission is to create a safe + welcoming space for everyone to enjoy the outdoors together. This group is beginner-friendly—no pressure, no speed goals, just fresh air, good company, and community.}

^{What to expect:}

^{🚶 All experience levels welcome}

^{🤝 Respect + kindness are our core rules}

^{🏔 Hikes are about enjoying nature, not racing to the top‍}

^{First step:}

^{Head to the intros topic and share your name + your favourite hike! See you on the trail 🌄}

^{— the Example Hiking Group leads}

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^{2) Send a Personal DM to every new member}

^{A quick nudge turns lurkers into contributors.}

^{Template (DM):}

^{Hey! Welcome to [your group name] 👋}

^{Great to meet you, I'm [your name]I would love if you gave a short intro to the group.[link to your introductions chat]}

^{Just a short note with who you are and a fun fact about yourself will do.}

^{Glad you’re here!}

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^{3) Add Ice Breaker Questions}

^{Toggle on the Heylo Icebreaker feature to collect context that fuels connections (and great intros).}

^Examples:

• ^{“What city/neighborhood are you coming from?”}
• ^{“What experience level are you?” (adapt to your niche)}

^{You can also add simular questions to at an event level.}

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^{Ways to Spark Engagement (That Actually Work)}

^{Weekly Prompts}

^{Post one purposeful prompt each week. Remember, quality over quantity.}

^Examples:

• ^{“What’s one tiny win from this week?”}
• ^{“What would you love to see us host next month?”}
  

^{Spotlights & Wins}

^{Celebrate members publicly: a short blurb + photo. As volume grows, spin up a #wins channel.}

^{Perks & Access}

^{Share member-only perks: discount codes, early invites, partner offers. Use Heylo’s Benefits to keep them organized.}

^{Make It Fun}

^{Memes, polls, friendly challenges—keep it lightweight between deeper discussions.}

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^{Nudges (Behind-the-Scenes Hosting)}

^{It’s normal to DM members and ask for specific contributions. Give them a clear, doable action:}

• ^{“Mind welcoming [new member] with a quick intro reply?”}
• ^{“Would you share a photo from last night’s event in the general chat?”}
• ^{“Can you post a two-sentence recap of your workshop takeaways in the event chat?”}
  

^{These micro-asks distribute ownership and build momentum.}

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^{Heylo Features to Lean On}

• ^{Welcome Message – sets tone and first steps for every join.}
• ^{Roles – tag "co-leaders,” or “hosts” so members know who’s who.}
• ^{Check-Ins & Milestones – reward consistency}
• ^{Benefits – store discount links, files, and partner perks in one place.}
• ^{Feedback – enable post-event feedback to surface ideas and shout-outs.}

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^{Mindset to Remember}

• ^{Quality > volume. A few authentic threads beat a busy but shallow feed.}
• ^{Host, don’t hype. Your job is to create the conditions for members to talk to each other.}
• ^{Design for handoff. Over time, step back and invite members/ co-leaders to start threads, host micro-events, and welcome newcomers. That’s when the community truly becomes alive.}

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^{Written by Gabriel Ghiglione
Global Head of Community at Heylo}